Drinking on Purim

Drunkenness is condemned, forbidden, and admonished against – to varying degrees – in the Torah, Prophets, Writings, Talmud, and Jewish ethical literature.Intoxication can lead to loss of self-control, alcohol addiction, transgression, weakened morality, and crime.

With this in mind we are surprised to read an offbeat line in the Talmud (Megillah 7b), where Rava tells us: “A person is obligated to drink on Purim until he cannot distinguish between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordechai.’” This cryptic line is followed by an even more eyebrow-raising anecdote about Rabbah and Rabbi Zeira, two sages who had experienced an unusual, and controversial, Purim feast.

In this Thinking Gemara shiur we will attempt – through the eyes of generations of Jewish thinkers and halachic authorities – to figure out what the Talmud is trying to teach us in this puzzling passage. Our quest will demand a thorough examination of the halachic sources that deal with drinking on Purim.

This class will address the following questions:

How does the function of drinking on Purim contrast with its function on other Jewish holidays?

What does Rava mean by “until he cannot distinguish between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordechai’”?